What is schedule reliability in shipping?

The percentage of container ship arrivals that are on time against the published schedule — within one calendar day either side, in Sea-Intelligence's widely quoted measure.

What was global schedule reliability in 2026?

Sea-Intelligence put it at 56.4% in July 2026 and 49.9% in August 2026, the lowest since September 2022, with late ships an average 6.81 days late in August.

Which shipping line is the most reliable?

In August 2026 Maersk was the most reliable of the top 13 carriers at 67.3%, followed by Hapag-Lloyd at 61.5%, according to Sea-Intelligence.

Term

Schedule reliability

Schedule reliability is the share of container ships that arrive on time against the published schedule — in Sea-Intelligence's measure, within one calendar day either side. In August 2026 global reliability fell to 49.9%, the lowest since September 2022, and ships that arrived late were 6.81 days late on average.

Also called vessel schedule reliability, on-time performance, Global Liner Performance, carrier reliabilityUpdated 13 October 2026

How it is measured

Sea-Intelligence's Global Liner Performance report counts a vessel as on time if it arrives within plus or minus one calendar day of the proforma schedule, and as late if it arrives two or more calendar days after it. Two figures matter: the share on time, and the average delay of the ships that were late.

August 2026

Measure	August 2026
Global schedule reliability	49.9% — lowest since September 2022
Average delay of late vessels	6.81 days
Most reliable top-13 carrier	Maersk, 67.3%
Next	Hapag-Lloyd 61.5%, MSC 55.2%, CMA CGM 50.6%
Least reliable	Wan Hai, 23.2%
Asia, all carriers	32.3%

Sea-Intelligence, Global Liner Performance, published 29 September 2026

Worked example

Ship due 10 October: arrives 11 October → on time · arrives 12 October → late · in August 2026 a late ship averaged 6.81 days, so plan around 16–17 October, not 12

What carriers promise

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd built Gemini around reliability: Maersk says it aims for schedule reliability above 90% on Sea-Intelligence's measure once the network is fully phased in. Maersk said in October 2026 that Gemini reached 95.7% into the North American West Coast and 93.5% into the East Coast on Sea-Intelligence's figures, against industry averages of 69.7% and 71.5%.

The mistake people make

Reading the late-ship average as everyone's delay. It counts only late ships, so it cannot be less than two days; and Sea-Intelligence has pointed out that early arrivals bring in a negative delay that softens the reported severity in other measures. Use the on-time share and the late-ship delay together.

FAQ